“It is clear that current gun laws are what helped Jay Lewis in his unfortunate altercation with two men in October where he found it necessary to use his weapon to defend himself. The jury declared him innocent after hearing the 911 tape. The law said Lewis was right,” Rev. Carlos Jayne (above left) of the Iowans for Gun Safety admits, sensibly enough (via desmoinesregister.com). “The terrible results for Lewis came about because the administration of justice kept him (unfairly) incarcerated until his trial. That and the uncaring attitude of his landlord in not diligently finding out where he was, and then throwing out his belongings, made his case an overall terrible situation for him.” OK. Ready?
It is my contention that if House File 2215 had been in effect, with its inherent encouragement of carrying to protect yourself on a “shoot first, ask questions later” basis, the other individuals in the altercation might also very well have been armed, resulting in a real shoot-out.
Lewis was carrying and gave fair warning that he was going to defend himself. There are plenty of hotheads or persons affected by drinking (as the others were in this instance, it seems) who could escalate similar situations into real gun battles or massacres.
And in conclusion . . .
We employ law enforcement to protect the public and that should be our thrust. Provide them what they need to protect us. “Stand your ground” legislation is not the answer.
Please note that Mr. Lewis, a citizen who held a concealed carry permit, was on the phone with the police when he defended his life with his firearm against two vicious thugs. I’ve got to say Carlos’ letter is just . . . awesome.